Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks may trade away some big names at the deadline, as Bob Murray has explained that only Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu are untouchable.

The Ducks' top line is a formidable group, but as you move down the depth chart, there aren't many impressive threats.

The Ducks will try to improve their secondary scoring in an attempt to make a run back towards the playoff races. If the Ducks truly dangle one of their top forwards, chances are they can get a pretty good return.

Colorado Avalanche

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Area of Improvement: Scoring

The Avs are 25th overall in goals per game in the NHL. This number is pretty low, and it's an area that they would like to improve upon.

With players like Matt Duchene, Paul Stastny and Gabriel Landeskog, the future is bright, but the Avs need help now. They may not be major players at the deadline, but this is definitely an area they would like to improve upon.

Columbus Blue Jackets

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Area of Improvement: A Starting Goaltender

Steve Mason is clearly not the answer in Columbus. If the Blue Jackets want to become a serious team, they need some stability in net. The Blue Jackets are currently considered the front runner to finish with the worst record.

With their lottery pick, they will likely draft Nail Yakupov. It doesn't matter how much offense the Jackets bring in if they continue to let in a lot of goals every night.

Dallas Stars

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Area of Improvement: Maintain Consistency

General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk did an amazing job riding the storm of uncertainty when the Dallas Stars were looking for an owner. The Stars have had great production from Jamie Benn and Loui Eriksson thus far, and the best thing the Stars can do is wait until free agency.

With a new owner in Tom Gaglardi, the Stars would be better off making a splash in free agency than trading pieces away at the deadline.

If the Stars wanted to make a low-risk trade, Ales Hemsky would be a case worth investigating.

Edmonton Oilers

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Area of Improvement: Stay Patient

The future of the Oilers lies in the hands of young players like Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall.

They got off to a hot start on the back of Nikolai Khabibulin but have since come back down to earth. Like the Dallas Stars, the Edmonton Oilers could be quiet at the deadline but could make some serious noise in the offseason.

Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers are in first place in the Southeast Division. Let me say that again, the Panthers are the current leader in the Southeast Division. Are you surprised? I surely am.

The Panthers made a lot of noise in the offseason when Dale Tallon acquired a lot of his old Blackhawk soldiers.

The Panthers have had huge contributions from Kris Versteeg and Brian Campbell, so the chances of them making a trade are slim. Any area they would look to improve could cost them some valuable pieces.

Los Angeles Kings

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Area of Improvement: Shake Things Up

The Kings have the majority of their salary cap invested in key players.

Terry Murray was relieved of his duties as head coach, and it was a move that Dean Lombardi didn't want to make. For a team with a payroll as high as the Kings', scrambling for a playoff spot is unacceptable.

If it weren't for Jonathan Quick, odds are the Kings would be in the bottom of the conference. The Kings have a few players coming off their cap this summer and if Zach Parise becomes a free agent, they would love to sign him.

Minnesota Wild

Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesWould Parise sign with his hometown Wild in the off-season?

Area of Improvement: Return to Early-Season Form

The Minnesota Wild were once the top team in the NHL, but in the blink of an eye, they dropped down the charts. The Wild already have a good group of players like Dany Heatley, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Mikko Koivu on the roster.

They have a good shot at making the playoffs, but odds are they will make their splash during the free-agency period.

New Jersey Devils

The future of the Devils franchise is in the hands of Zach Parise. If he were to depart from the Garden State, things would not look good for New Jersey. They should do everything in their power to retain the star forward.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, future Hall of Fame goaltender Martin Brodeur is showing his age and will likely retire at the season's end.

Johan Hedburg is also a free agent and without any significant goaltending prospects in the system, the Devils will seek to acquire a netminder.

Ottawa Senators

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Area of Improvement: Add Another Scorer?

I am certain that not many people thought the Senators would rebound as much as they have this season. Last year, the Senators had a bad season that landed them the seventh overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft.

This year, things seem to be clicking for Jason Spezza, Milan Michalek and Daniel Alfredsson. Are there areas the Senators could improve upon? Yes, but odds are the only move they could make would be to add another scorer.

Philadelphia Flyers

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Area of Improvement: Defense

Chris Pronger is already sidelined for the rest of the season and possibly the rest of his career with concussion-like symptoms.

Pronger was arguably the Flyers' most important defender, as he brought a lot to their lineup. The Flyers may have a crop of capable defenders, but will they splurge to add a top-pairing minutes eater?

Will they look to add a defenseman who enables them to balance out the defensive aspect of their game?

The Flyers are a team that scores a lot of goals, but they also give up a lot of goals as well. The Flyers could look into acquiring Tim Gleason or Bryan Allen from the Carolina Hurricanes or maybe look at blockbuster deal centered around Ryan Suter.

Pittsburgh Penguins

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Area of Improvement: Offense

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had bad luck when it comes to injured players this season. The Penguins, who are already without Sidney Crosby, will be without Jordan Staal, Kris Letang and others for the foreseeable future.

Offensively, Evgeni Malkin cannot carry the team alone. He will need some help, and the Penguins could look to Edmonton for some help.

Ales Hemsky is an upcoming free agent at the end of the year. It appears his time in Edmonton could be coming to an end, as the Oilers are building around their youth corps of Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. These tenacious youngsters form a formidable top unit.

Hemsky could be shipped off for a minor prospect and a draft pick. He could bring a veteran presence and some needed scoring to the Penguins. He may be an injury risk, but this is a low-risk proposition for the Penguins.

St. Louis Blues

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Area of Improvement: Establish a No. 1 Goaltender

The St. Louis Blues have two remarkable goaltenders. However, in the playoffs, teams usually use one goaltender. In order to instill confidence in your goaltender, you need to have a starter and a backup who will only push the starter to be more successful.

The Blues can become a stronger team once they define a No. 1 starter. Who knows, if the Blues establish a No. 1 starter they could even deal the other to a team who needs goaltending.

Tampa Bay Lightning

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Area of Improvement: Acquire a Goaltender

A team that has the league's top goal scorer should not be in the bottom of the conference. If Tampa wants to climb up the ladder back into playoff picture, a trade needs to be made. The bottom line is that Dwayne Roloson and Mathieu Garon are not cutting it in net.

But who should Tampa target? Could they set their sights on a young goaltender like Cory Schneider or Jonathan Bernier?

A realistic low-cost target for the Lightning could be Josh Harding of the Minnesota Wild. Harding is 8-4-2 with a 2.15 goals against average. These numbers should be good enough for Steve Yzerman to give him a look.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Bruce Bennett/Getty ImagesYou want WHAT for Getzlaf......

Area of Improvement: Acquire a Real No. 1 Center

When the Maple Leafs struck out in the Brad Richards sweepstakes, they were forced to settle for the next best thing. So the Leafs decided to sign the ever injury-prone Tim Connolly. Thus far, he has produced only 22 points.

This obviously wasn't the best way to spend money, but the Leafs still have some wiggle room. Rumors have swirled that indicate the Leafs could look to trade for Ryan Getzlaf.

However, has there ever been a big player on the market that Brian Burke didn't show interest in?

Washington Capitals

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Area of Improvement: Swap Semin for Another Scorer?

The Capitals are currently slated to miss the playoffs. The Caps fired their head coach earlier this year and hired Dale Hunter. Things have only slightly turned around, and Alexander Semin is once again a free agent this year.

Going forward, Semin doesn't really fit into Dale Hunter's system, so the chances that the Capitals try to trade Semin are good. Hunter wants his team to play physical and wants every player to do their fair share of grinding.

That doesn't fit Semin's profile, so the Caps may explore their options.